Category: Smokeless

Cancer Society Concerned About Nicotine Pouches

Photo: Andrii
The American Cancer Society is concerned about the growing popularity of nicotine pouches.
Overall U.S. sales of nicotine pouches increased during 2019–2022, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open. The data also showed sales of 8 mg nicotine concentration level (highest available) products rose more rapidly than those with different concentration levels.
“Our findings are important as nicotine is a highly addictive substance. The growing popularity of nicotine pouches may increase the risk of children finding these products to be attractive and risk-averse health outcomes and addiction to nicotine,” said Nigar Nargis, senior scientific director of tobacco control research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study, in a statement. “Health campaigns warning of potential adverse health outcomes of nicotine pouches are needed.”
Study authors analyzed data comprising weekly Nielsen IQ Retail Scanner point of purchase sales from August 2019 through March 2022 for 2,182 local trade areas in the contiguous 48 states and Washington, D.C. Sales trends of four nicotine pouch brands (Zyn, Rogue, On! and Velo) were analyzed.
The results showed overall sales increased from 126.06 million units from August to December 2019 to 808.14 million units from January to March 2022. Zyn (58.8 percent) led the overall unit share followed by On! (24.6 percent), Velo (12.1 percent) and Rogue (4.8 percent) during the study period. Zyn sales peaked in September 2021 and increased more than other brands from October 2021 to March 2022; however, Rogue sales increased more rapidly than all other brands.
December 8, 2022
Sweden Approaching ‘Smoke-Free’ Goal

Delon Human | Photo: Taco Tuinstra
Smoking in Sweden has fallen to 5.6 percent, making Sweden the only European nation close to reaching the smoke-free goal set by the EU ahead of the 2040 target, Swedish authorities confirmed, according to BusinessWire.
According to participants in an event organized by the Oral Nicotine Commission in Stockholm, Sweden is about to become the first country in the world to be defined as “smoke-free,” representing a share of less than 5 percent of the population smoking.
Sweden’s smoking rates have plunged since the 1980s from 35 percent to below 6 percent. The next lowest smoking rate in Europe is double that of Sweden’s, with the EU average sitting around 23 percent, four times higher than in Sweden.
“If all smokers in the world, some 1.1 billion people, would switch to one of [the] less harmful alternative smoke-free, nicotine-based products, it could prevent disease and save millions of lives worldwide. Sweden has found the fire escape for smokers. We need to work together to repeat the Swedish experience globally to save lives,” said Delon Human, president of Health Diplomats and organizer of the Oral Nicotine Commission event.
“The upcoming Swedish EU presidency is a great opportunity to share their 5 percent success story to other EU countries,” said Karl Fagerstrom, professor, at the event. “We hope that Sweden will be generous with sharing this know-how internationally.”
Speakers at the conference emphasized the need for sound evidence-based policy interventions in tobacco control.
December 7, 2022
EU: Sweden Retains Right to Set Snus Tax

Photo: Marcus
The EU Commission’s spokesperson for tax matters, Daniel Ferrie, said at a press conference on Nov. 28 in Brussels that Sweden has the right to set the tax level on snus.
His comments, reported by Aftonbladet, follow an uproar among Swedish snus lovers after the publication of a leaked document suggesting the EU wants to force Sweden to raise the tax on snus by 200 percent.
The document, which was seen by Aftonbladet, contains proposals for a new excise tax on tobacco.
If applied to Sweden, the price of a can of portioned snus would have increased by approximately SEK34 ($3.26). The price of a can of loose snus would have increased by approximately SEK62 compared to today. A can of General loose snus would cost over SEK120 under the proposal.
Reminding his audience that Sweden is exempted from the EU snus ban, Ferrie said the bill under discussion would not change Sweden’s status. “Sweden will retain its full freedom to set tax regimes and excise taxes for snus,” he said.
November 28, 2022
Snus Lovers up in Arms After EU Tax Proposal

Photo: Marko Hannula
Swedish snus lovers are up in arms after the publication of a leaked document suggesting the EU wants to force Sweden to raise the tax on snus by 200 percent.
The document, which was seen by the Swedish daily Aftonbladet, contains proposals for a new excise tax on tobacco.
If the plan becomes reality, the price of a can of portioned snus could increase by approximately SEK34 ($3.26). The price of a can of loose snus would increase by approximately SEK62 compared to today. A can of General loose snus would cost over SEK120 under the proposal.
Patrik Hildingsson, head of communications at Swedish Match, said that while Swedes are accustomed to high tax rates, the leaked EU proposal goes too far. He urged the Swedish government to make it clear to Brussels that Sweden alone regulates snus.
“Imagine if the EU decided to raise the tax on Italian Parma ham or German beer. This is basically the same thing,” Hildingsson was quoted as saying by Aftonbladet. “In the snus issue, the EU has chosen to disregard the principle of member state self-determination.”

“To dramatically increase the tax on snus will be a deadly blow to tobacco harm reduction and can make users go back to smoking.”
Bengt Wiberg, founder, EUforsnus
Meanwhile, snus advocates pointed to the health impact of snus, which is considerably less risky than other tobacco products.
“The Swedish Experience of snus has made Sweden almost smoke-free,” said Bengt Wiberg, founder of the EUforsnus international consumer group. “Daily smoking is now only 5 percent in Sweden as per the EU’s own Eurobarometer and thus Sweden has the lowest rate of all tobacco-caused cancers in Europe.
“To dramatically increase the tax on snus will be a deadly blow to tobacco harm reduction and can make users go back to smoking. I am sure the Swedish liberal/conservative government will even consider using its veto right within EU to stop this proposal.”
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson indicated she would oppose the proposed tax hikes.
While snus is banned in the EU, Sweden obtained an exemption on cultural grounds when it joined the union in 1995. In the following years, however, the EU has made several attempts to restrict snus sales in Sweden, according to Aftonbladet.
The recent leaked proposal is scheduled to be published in early December. It must then be discussed and decided by the EU member states.
November 27, 2022
U.K. Urged to Ban Pouch Sales to Minors

Photo: Andrii
U.K. health campaigners are calling for the closure of a loophole that allows nicotine pouches to be sold to under-18s, reports the BBC.
Nicotine pouches, which are made without tobacco, are not regulated by rules that cover tobacco products, vaping products or medical products in the U.K. As a result, there are no age restrictions on sales.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) says the lack of rules is a “Wild West.”
Leading manufacturers, however, have introduced their own restrictions on age of sale and warnings on packaging.
In a recent ASH survey of 13,000 people, about one in 25 said they had tried nicotine pouches, and awareness was highest among 18-year-olds to 24-year-olds, with 45 percent having heard of them.
Leonie Brose, reader in nicotine research at King’s College London, agreed the current regulation should be reviewed.
“If you are a smoker, then moving to something else is a good idea, but if you’ve never smoked, it’s not a good idea to take up nicotine because it is addictive and may produce a dependence,” she said.
Japan Tobacco International, which sells Nordic Spirit nicotine pouches, welcomed the call for more regulation.
Spokeswoman Nicky Small told the BBC that the company has spearheaded a self-regulation framework that governs the marketing of the product and limits access to over-18s.
October 31, 2022
BAT Conducts New Study of Velo

Photo: BAT
BAT has conducted a cross-sectional clinical study of Velo, which is designed to provide new insights into the real-world health impact of its modern oral nicotine pouch product compared to smoking. Protocol details explaining the design have been published in the journal JMIR Research Protocols.
The study evaluates exposure to certain toxicants and early indicators associated with smoking-related disease in people who have been exclusively using Velo for over six months and compares them with groups of smokers, former smokers and never-smokers.
The results are currently being analyzed and will be published by the end of the year.
“Modern oral nicotine pouches are an exciting product category, which build upon the extensive scientific evidence available for snus but are designed to offer adult consumers an improved tobacco-free, reduced-risk alternative,” said Sharon Goodall, BAT’s group head of regulatory sciences, in a statement.
“We have already generated data that shows Velo has a toxicant profile better than snus and is comparable to nicotine-replacement therapy. However, we wanted to generate further evidence to demonstrate the important contribution it can make to tobacco harm reduction. I believe the results of this study will provide important new information, and we look forward to sharing them once available.”
October 17, 2022
Institute: Pouches Safer Than Smoking

Photo: Swedish Match
In the statement published on Oct. 7, 2022, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) confirmed that tobacco-free nicotine pouches can reduce health risks compared to smoking. To protect consumers, the BfR recommends regulation of the manufacture, presentation and sale of nicotine pouches.
In a detailed study on the material composition of tobacco-free nicotine pouches performed in August 2022, BfR scientists found that aside from nicotine, the pouches contain no substances presenting health concerns. In some samples, however, they detected traces of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) similar to those found in medical nicotine-replacement products.
The BfR scientists did express concern about inadequate labeling and missing warnings on some products.
“These critical comments can be resolved in principle,” said Jan Muecke, CEO of the German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Novel Products (BVTE), in a statement. “It would make a lot of sense to set appropriate limits for nicotine and TSNAs and to introduce binding regulations on warnings and labeling obligations. A high level of consumer protection must be guaranteed.”
Muecke said the BVTE would welcome regulation of nicotine pouches under tobacco laws. Contrary to their counterparts, other European countries, German regulators treat nicotine pouches as food products. As a result, they are illegal in Germany.
Muecke said he hoped the BfR assessment would prompt regulators to rethink. “We want tobacco-free nicotine pouches to provide consumers of tobacco and nicotine products with another potentially less harmful alternative,” he said.
October 13, 2022
Strom Nicotine Pouch Debuts in U.K.

Photo: Andrii
Scandinavian Tobacco Group has launched its Strom nicotine pouch in the U.K., reports Convenience Store.
Strom will be available in three flavors—fresh mint, minty orange and juicy berry—to retailers across Manchester for a six-month trial period between October and March before being rolled out to other cities across the U.K. throughout 2023 and beyond.
“Nicotine pouch sales are really gathering pace, and that’s why we’re really excited to pilot our Strom brand in Manchester before rolling out the product to the rest of the U.K.,” said Alastair Williams, STG’s U.K. country director. “Retailers would be forgiven for thinking that the nicotine pouch category is already quite crowded, but we’re coming to the market with something more authentic, premium and sophisticated than what is already out there.
“Strom offers a prolonged taste delivery, which enables an extended flavor sensation for your mouth and throat as well as providing an equal nicotine release for a consistent and smooth experience. We’re also excited to be putting a huge marketing spend behind our regional ad campaign to raise consumer awareness and drive sales.”
October 11, 2022
Smart Sachets

Photos: Amplicon
Amplicon presents the first pouch with controlled nicotine release.
By Stefanie Rossel
All nicotine pouch brands presently on the market use a form of cellulose as a carrier material. Powdered cellulose is drenched in a mixture of pharmaceutical grade nicotine, flavors and a pH alignment to bring the product’s pH to the optimum level for nicotine uptake. Although the blend is moistened with polyglycol or glycerol, the pouches are slightly dry. This leads to the user feeling the nicotine effect and perceiving the taste within a few seconds after placing a pouch behind the lip. For some users, the sudden intense nicotine hit is too much—they react physically; sometimes they even get sick. Cellulose has another downside: During consumption, it may dissolve into a slimy lump in the consumer’s mouth, thereby quickly losing its flavor.
Release of pouch nicotine is controlled mainly by the solubility of the nicotine, which means the size of the pouches also determines the release profile. In nontraditional snus markets, users prefer small pouches. These, however, release nicotine and flavor in a very short time.

Hakan Engqvist
A Swedish consumer products company set out to solve these issues. In June, Amplicon presented its Freee nicotine pouches, which it describes as the next generation of oral nicotine. While from the outside the pouches look like those already on the market, they are filled with a powder made of bioceramics. Under the microscope, bioceramic granules look like Swiss cheese, having a porous inner structure. The bioceramics used for the pouches belong to a family of chemically bonded ceramics. The substances can be found in nature. For example, hydroxyapatite, a bioceramic generated in the body by biomineralization, forms the basis of the hard matter of all mammals. For the past 40 years, bioceramics have been used clinically for hard tissue replacement.
Amplicon’s Freee bioceramic platform also contains water, bulk and the active ingredients nicotine and flavor, which bind to that platform. Substance release takes place through diffusion and dissolution. This allows for a more constant, controlled release of nicotine and flavor and better absorption by the human body. The company uses nicotine salt in its pouches. Water-soluble flavors integrate best with the material, but oil-based flavors can be used as well.
The technology allows manufacturers to produce pouches that are small but pack the punch of much larger products, says Amplicon founder Hakan Engqvist, who is also a professor in materials science at Uppsala University. “Our technology enables customized nicotine-delivery and a much-improved nicotine and flavor experience, and it allows for pH stability over time. It also maintains the consistency of the pouch better. Feedback from consumer tests has been positive.”
Current pouch products, he explains, also have an issue with shelf life because their pH levels are less stable than they are in bioceramics.

Tomas Hammargren
Intelligence Inside
The new pouch technology stems from pharmaceutical research. “We have been and are still working on an opioid-based pain relief formulation,” says Engqvist. “Through different routes, we started to work with solid vape to load nicotine into the ceramics and thereby reduce the use of e-liquid and instead just have a tablet. Controlled release of nicotine from pouches then became the next development, quite natural in a snus country such as Sweden.”
Engqvist has lots of experience with bioceramics. Amplicon’s parent company, Emplicure, which he also co-founded, combines biomaterials with existing pharmaceutical substances to deliver drugs precisely and safely. Its controlled-release technology targets unmet medical needs, especially in opioid-based pain relief where its formulations offer not only improved therapy with less discomfort but also reduce the risk of opioid abuse, according to the company.
Its patented bioceramic platforms are based on tunable nanostructures that enable the distribution of active substances in bioceramic materials. The active substance is then released to achieve the desired effect by controlled diffusion. The release and dosage of the active substances can be tuned by adjusting the size of the pores, the choice of biomaterial and the excipients.
Amplicon was established to leverage Emplicure’s technology in the nicotine market. In June, the company filed for a trademark registration for Freee nicotine pouches at the European Intellectual Property Office. The company presently manufactures the pouches in-house at pilot scale but says it is able to scale up production from laboratory volumes to commercial volumes. Control over the making of the ceramic powder will stay with Amplicon, which has received a lot of interest in its technology from both established distributors and pouch manufacturers, says Tomas Hammargren, chairman of Amplicon.
The product is scheduled to hit the market by mid-2023. Initial target markets will include both new, “non-pouch” geographies, such as Europe, Japan and Korea, and existing pouch markets, according to Hammargren. “To reach all important markets, such as Southern Europe or Asia, a pouch product needs to be as small as possible but has to provide a good nicotine and flavor hit, which is difficult to achieve with cellulose,” he says. “It’s hard to imagine an Italian woman putting a big pouch under her lip. The same is true for Asia. Our product is more urban, metropolitan and attractive to female and new users, hence we are confident that it will also be successful in existing oral nicotine markets. It will be the perfect complement for vapers and users of heated-tobacco products in places where smoking and vaping is banned.”
Stefanie Rossel is Tobacco Reporter’s editorial contributor. An experienced trade journalist, she combines sharp reporting skills with in-depth knowledge of the tobacco and vapor industries. Prior to joining Tobacco Reporter, Stefanie was editor-in-chief at Tobacco Journal International, where she worked for a decade. Fluent in English, German and French, Stefanie covers tobacco news around the world. She is based in Germany.

August 1, 2022
Pouch Segment Growing Rapidly in Spots

Photo: Swedish Match
While not yet widely available, sales of nicotine pouches are developing rapidly in select geographies, according to a blog post by the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World (FSFW) of reduced-risk products. The largest markets are currently in high-income and middle-income countries, with Sweden and the United States topping the list, partly as a result of their strong oral tobacco cultures.
Of the 15 companies ranked by the FSFW’s Tobacco Transformation Index, which measures the extent to which nicotine companies are making progress toward reducing the consumption of high-risk products, seven currently offer nicotine pouches. In 2021, nicotine pouches represented 0.3 percent of the world tobacco market in value terms.
Twenty-four of the 36 countries covered by the Tobacco Transformation Index allow nicotine pouches. Of those 24 markets in 2021, the market size exceeded 10 million units in seven: the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ukraine, Switzerland and Poland.
Legislation differs among the studied geographies, with some countries treating nicotine pouches as consumer products and others viewing them as tobacco products. Germany’s Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety determined that nicotine pouches are a foodstuff containing an unauthorized novel food ingredient—nicotine—and thus illegal for sale.
July 11, 2022